You are a Texan, travelling abroad throughout the remote expanse of Eastern Europe. There are no signs of Americanization anywhere. You are wearing cowboy boots. All of the sudden, a young boy comes up to you wearing a Def Leppard t-shirt, jams and white Kaepa high tops. He grins at your boots and exclaims with glee after taking a bendy-straw sip from a can of Coke: “Hey, you are American? And you are from Texas, yes?" You knod affirmatively. "Hey, that’s way cool, my friend! Hey, ride ‘em cowboy! Bang-bang (making finger-guns)! Yeah! You have gun and horse? Hey, don’t mess with Texas! All right!” You roll your eyes. Behold! The power of good advertising.

Twenty years ago, a catchy slogan was born that would effectively (a) discourage Texans from littering on Texas highways, (b) provide Texas politicians with the perfect catch-phrase when they had nothing better to say to assembled crowds and (c) further stereotype Texans in the minds of billions of non-Texans. During the 1987 Cotton Bowl, the first Don’t Mess With Texas ad aired, with Stevie Ray Vaughan playing “The Eyes of Texas” on his guitar. The phrase got around. Quick. Within a few short years, the slogan would be indellibly engraved into history, rendering Texas both a tough and a clean place in the eyes of the world community. There’s even a punk band in Croatia called “Don’t Mess With Texas”.

Yes, notch this up to another example of Texas nationalism, that sense of pride and that quirky, independent personality that’s brought our great state the fame she deserves. As a sovereign entity, Texas has a unique personality known to all, and the Don’t Mess With Texas slogan has had more than a bit to do with that. What's more, the advertising motto still lives on, possessing the same power that it did twenty years ago. Since the airing of the original “Don’t Mess With Texas” ad with SRV, several similar public service announcements have been released, with jingles written by Texas musicians such as Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Joe Ely, just to name a few.

And two Austin men are responsible for it all.
The Don’t Mess With Texas slogan was created by Roy Spence and Tim McClure, two of the co-founders of Austin-based advertising firm GSD&M. Twenty years later, the two men, who are now at the top of their field, have decided to publish a book chronicling the history of the now-infamous slogan, entitled Don’t Mess With Texas: The Story Behind the Legend. The book is due for release next month and will include glossy photos and anecdotes chronicling the creation and propagation of the ad campaign that has done so much for the public image of Texas.

Additionally, as it turns out, the Don’t Mess With Texas motto is currently a candidate for entry into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. Former winners of this prestigious award include “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand” (M&M’s), “Where’s the beef?” (Wendy’s) and “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” (United Negro College Fund). Make it official by voting here.